NASHVILLE Sings

Article first published as DVD Review: 'Nashville - The Complete First Season' on Blogcritics.

Last fall, ABC’s Nashville introduced us to Rayna James (Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights), a country music queen whose career is on the downswing. Her production company has an idea – team her up with hot young ingenue Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere, Heroes) – and Rayna can rise to the top again. It’s synergy made in production heaven.

As the 21 episodes of The Complete First Season, now available in a five-disc DVD set, reveal,  things are quite a bit more complicated. For one, Rayna and Juliette do not get along in the slightest, both having preconceived notions about one another, and clashing upon meeting. For another, they’d both like to work with Rayna’s long-time guitar player and former lover (and recovering alcoholic), Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten, Big Love, Enlightened).

On the home front, Rayna’s life is no easier. Husband Teddy Conrad (Eric Close, Without a Trace) is involved in politics, as is Rayna’s manipulative father, Lamar Wyatt (Powers Boothe, Deadwood), and close family friend Coleman Carlisle (Robert Wisdom, The Wire), making the race for mayor of the big city quite messy. Toss in Rayna’s heir-apparent sister, Tandy (Judith Hoag, Big Love), and Rayna’s daughters, Maddie (Lennon Stella) and Daphne (Maisy Stella), and it’s no wonder Rayna is distracted on the road, priorities warring for attention.

As Juliette struggles to stay in the public eye, her every decision becomes gossip fodder, fueling her perception (somewhat warranted) as a diva. Whether she’s going through tumultuous relationships, dealing with addict mother, Jolene (Sylvia Jefferies, The Notebook), or fighting with manager Bucky (David Alford, Stoker), she is constantly judged, and her motivations dissected. Nashville shows us the pressures of someone in this position, a timely tale in today’s celebrity-obsessed world.

Nashville may center on the big stars, but it also takes us to the other end of the music scene. Deacon’s niece, writer Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen, The Clinic) is just getting started, unintentionally being found in a bar along with her performing partner, Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio, Episodes). Gunnar is love with Scarlett, complicating the arrangement, especially as Scarlett is with Avery Barkley (Jonathan Jackson, General Hospital), a band leader who soon becomes jealous of his girlfriend’s success.

If you think that’s a sprawling cast, you’d be right. But it takes that many people to keep a soapy drama chugging along week after week, as broadcast television demands a lot of installments per year. Nashville holds its own on the cluttered landscape, carving a new path deserving of attention. The personal dynamics may be familiar, but the setting is fresh, the plot twists keep coming, and it’s rarely stale.

The series also boasts some fine performances. Britton is well-known among many television fans for her previous work, and it’s no surprise at the range and layers she exhibits in such a plumb starring position. What may be unexpected is that Panettiere, mostly known as “the cheerleader” from a superhero series, matches her scene for scene, a worthy partner on screen. These two women are Nashville, and they could not have been any better cast.

Of course, Nashville would be nothing if its music sucked, with songs playing such an integral part in the production. Thankfully, there is a crack team behind the original numbers, delivering us ballads, pop standards, and moving soul-searchers, with a bit of rock tossed in here and there. There aren’t any real duds, and the musical numbers are often delivered with great effect, not being forced or squandered to fill an episode. As someone who isn’t even really into the country genre, there is still plenty to appreciate in Nashville.

There are a smattering of special features in this release, nothing groundbreaking, but serviceable enough. Deleted scenes and bloopers, the go-to inclusions, are present, along with a trio of featurettes about the titular city, the music behind the show, and a set tour. Unfortunately, there are no commentaries, and the extras are short on time with the actors, which is a bit of a disappointment. Who doesn’t want to see Britton and Panettiere talk about one another and the show? Perhaps that will be made up in future season sets? Still, combined with the episodes, worth a look.

Nashville – The Complete First Season is available now.

NASHVILLE Alive and Well

Article first published as NASHVILLE Alive and Well on TheTVKing.

If anyone in the television industry still thinks that Hayden Panettiere, the cheerleader from Heroes, can't hold her own against Tami Taylor herself, Connie Britton, that person need only watch "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," the first season finale of ABC's Nashville, to have their mind forever changed.

Panettiere's Juliette, a young country music superstar, prepares for the CMAs, in which she hopes to beat Britton's Rayna James, a legend in her own time, for a prestigious award. But Juliette's night is sidelined when her drug addict mother, Jolene (Sylvia Jeffries, Eastbound & Down), is found dead of an overdose, her sober companion Dante (Jay Hernandez) murdered by a gun beside her. Juliette tries to go on, but soon finds herself bogged down with grief.

Panettiere's performance is extremely impressive. The way she captures Juliette, who is not herself naturally a nice person, with all of the layers of her emotions, is extraordinary. Juliette has wished for Jolene to be dead, but also loves the mother who has made her life so complicated. This isn't a story just anyone can relate to, with most people having better dynamics with their parents, but it's easy to see just how talented Panettiere is when capturing all of Juliette's conflicting feelings.

This continues past the CMAs, to Jolene's funeral, and then a tribute performance at the Bluebird. We see Juliette honor her mother, and be angry at her. We also see Juliette get support from the people she clashes with, Rayna, Deacon (Charles Esten), and her former manager Bucky (David Alford). It's a time for Juliette to reconsider her life and her values, and she comes out stronger than ever.

Which means, unlike in Nashville's freshman year, she may be ready for a serious, mature relationship. The most likely candidate to begin this journey with her is Avery (Jonathan Jackson), who has undergone his own trials this season, only to emerge from the other side a better developed person. They both deserve love, are good people, and have worked to improve themselves. I hope this happens for them.

Oh, and Juliette wins the award, which should matter next season, even if it doesn't right now.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, things completely fall apart between Rayna and Deacon. The pair may have destiny on their side, but a host of tribulations have kept them separated from some time, and it's past mistakes that haunt them now. Deacon learns that Rayna has lied to him about the parentage of their daughter, Maddie (Lennon Stella), and falls off the wagon in a severe way.

If there is ever a sympathetic reason to give up thirteen years of sobriety to return to one's bad habits it is learning that the woman who you consider the love of your life has a daughter by you that she has claimed to be another man's for a very long time. Still, it's very depressing to see Deacon, a beloved character who has been doing so well, sink to such depths.

Rayna is going to have to distance herself from Deacon. She has two daughters to worry about, and they can't be around someone so unstable. In fact, the ending of "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" finds Rayna flipping Deacon's truck as they fight, crashing. This is clearly not a healthy relationship and has to end until Deacon pulls himself back together.

Despite the recent death of Dante and Jolene, it's unlikely either Rayna or Deacon did not survive the wreck. They are too central to Nashville, and the series would not be the same without them. But it should serve as a wake-up call for their behavior.

In the meantime, with Deacon so messed up, Teddy (Eric Close) won't have any trouble keeping Maddie. There is a reason Rayna chose him to be Maddie's father, and Teddy loves Maddie. He won't do anything to jeopardize the girl, and will be there for her at this time when she needs him. It's not fair for Maddie to only blame Rayna for the lie, but Teddy is a good influence in Maddie's life and should remain so.

That is, as long as he beats Rayna's father, Lamar (Powers Boothe) at his political game. Lamar crosses a major line by taking legal action against Teddy, something that could disrupt his granddaughters' lives and ruin the just-repaired relationship between Lamar and Rayna. It's a stupid move for someone who wants to keep his family, and even if Lamar wins his baseball stadium, he still loses.

The proceedings seem to hang on Lamar's other daughter, Tandy (Judith Hoag), who has every reason to turn against Lamar after he promotes someone else over her. Tandy has had her share of problems with Rayna, but her immediate anger is at Lamar. So Teddy should have the upper hand, at least for now.

In other relationship news, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" finds Gunnar (Sam Palladio) proposing to Scarlett (Clare Bowen). We don't see Scarlett's answer, but it's unlikely she'll say yes, or if she does, she won't go through with the nuptials. Scarlett and Gunnar's problems are too complicated to fix with a ring, and their careers are in drastically different places, Gunnar willing to give his up for her, which is the makings of resentment and more issues. They may very well end up together, but Nashville is a drama, and there's plenty of drama to milk out of both characters before allowing them to settle down.

Lastly, there's Will Lexington (Chris Carmack, The O.C.), the late addition to the cast. Will is trying to cover up his homosexuality because that could hurt him in his desire to be a country music star. Despite his only recently joining, we've learned enough about him to care, and although he isn't always on his best behavior, he doesn't deserve to be ruined. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, a plot that seems quite timely to the current social climate.

Nashville has proven itself to be a fine, compelling series, and this finale may be one of the best hours the show has delivered yet. I'm glad that it will be getting a second season beginning next fall on ABC.

Welcome to Nashville

Grade: 92%

First there was FOX’s Glee. Then NBC’s Smash. Now ABC enters the musical fray, appealing to a different demographic, with NASHVILLE. While Glee mixes showtunes and pop, and Smash goes mostly for original, Broadway-style tunes, NASHVILLE embraces country, both old and new, with an interesting, soapy drama and some decent original music.

The leads are familiar to those the slightest bit familiar with the country music scene and recent films and television portrayals of it. Rayna James (Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story) is a legend who is past her prime. Whereas before she sold out arenas, now ticket sales are dwindling. Her record label asks her to “co-headline,” really, open, for young sensation Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere, Heroes). Rayna is insulted and refuses, even when record label threatens to drop her.

Is Rayna being unreasonable, a diva, if you will? Well, not completely. She acknowledges and apologizes for her diva moments. She just isn’t ready to admit she’s not as successful as some trampy young starlet who isn’t nearly as good as Rayna. Who can blame her for that?

It’s easy to stay sympathetic for Rayna because Juliette is a mess. Autotuned to correct a weak voice and freely trading carnal relations for favors, Juliette is a picture of everything that’s wrong with modern music and fame, country or otherwise. Even with a drug addict mother (Sylvia Jeffries, Eastbound & Down), thrown in to soften Juliette, it’s still hard to feel sorry for someone who so openly snubs Rayna and tries to steal Rayna’s band leader.

Said band leader, Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten, Big Love, Enlightened), is the poor sob stuck in the middle. He is in love with Rayna, who is married to another man, and is offered sex and large amounts of money by Juliette to defect. A joint tour could save him the pain of having to choose, but with that looking unlikely by the end of the “Pilot,” he will probably be a source on conflict for the women.

Oh, and Rayna’s controlling and despicable father, Lamar Wyatt (Powers Boothe, Hatfields & McCoys, 24), is convincing her pushover husband, Teddy (Eric Close, Suits, Without a Trace), to run for mayor of Nashville, further complicating her life. This also sets the stage for a possible Deacon / Rayna romance if Teddy goes too far in service to Lamar.

The style of music will set NASHVILLE apart from its peers, but so, too, will the quality and tone. Whereas Smash and Glee might borrow from other sources, or use a limited catalogue, NASHVILLE freely explores different aspects of the genre. While the tunes are new and original for the series, it’s sort of like HBO’s Treme in that it uses the music to capture the spirit of an industry and a town. Whether it’s Juliette’s frothy popular fare, Rayna’s classics, or Scarlett’s (Clare Bowen) poetry that boyfriend Avery (Jonathan Jackson, General Hospital) turns into a new style entirely, there is a soul here that is missing from other television shows.

Add to that, NASHVILLE does the drama well. It’s not as over-the-top as Dallas, but there’s a Southern charm that can disguise snaky backstabbing that really gives flavor to the characters. There is no doubt that varying people have different agendas, and some are willing to be pretty unscrupulous to get what they want. There will be shades of grey, and while some of the villains are obvious, others will probably be created or revealed as the series unfolds, and several will probably straddle the line depending on the circumstances. These are fully developed people here, not just caricatures. Even setting the music aside, it’s a marvelously executed, engaging tale.

Which is why NASHVILLE deserves a watch. Some series can do one thing right, but few juggle multiple elements so deftly. A terrific cast, great music, and wonderful writing combine to make this one of the best new entries into the fall television season. The country aspect may be enough to appeal to many middle Americans, turned off by the specific genre that Glee and Smash fit into. And while it feels familiar enough to be welcome in our homes, it’s also different enough to feel like something new and special. Kudos all around.

NASHVILLE premieres this Wednesday, October 10th on ABC.